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DETROIT (WWJ) – A local business leader has a plan to demolish vacant and dilapidated homes that have been plaguing Detroit for years.

WWJ City Beat Reporter Vickie Thomas spoke with Edsel Ford of the Ford Motor Company, who said he wants to do something to help.

“I live on the east side and so I drive a lot on the east side of Detroit and I see all these homes that, you know, frankly need to be torn down,” Ford said. “It’s sad. I mean, I see this woman everyday when I go home at night and she sits in a very nice home right next to a home that’s caught on fire, and I feel so badly for her.”

Ford’s idea is to establish a demolition fund and have other businesses, civic leaders and stakeholders contribute to the cause.

“As community leaders, I mean, why couldn’t we establish a fund where we all might kick in or something along those lines? I just think that… strictly for demolition, we need to help the city. We need to come up with plans,” Ford said.

What is Mayor Dave Bing saying about the effort?

“I’m aware of it and I welcome anybody who wants to help,” Bing said.

The mayor also met with officials from Ford Motor Co. Monday to talk about a potential job creation plan to put Detroiters to work.